The perfect infinitive and the present participle (AQA GCSE French): Revision Notes
The perfect infinitive and the present participle
Understanding how to use the perfect infinitive and present participle will help you express more complex ideas and show sophisticated language skills in your French speaking and writing. These structures allow you to connect actions in time and add detail to your descriptions.
The perfect infinitive (l'infinitif passé)
The perfect infinitive is a useful structure that expresses the idea of "after doing something". It helps you show that one action happened before another action in the past.
How to form the perfect infinitive
You create the perfect infinitive by combining:
- après avoir + past participle (for most verbs)
- après être + past participle (for movement and reflexive verbs)
When using après être, remember that the past participle must agree with the subject, just like in the perfect tense (passé composé).
Examples in context
Worked Examples: Perfect Infinitive in Action
-
Après avoir joué au foot, nous sommes rentrés chez nous. (After playing football, we went home.)
-
Après être arrivé(e)(s), ils ont mangé. (After arriving, they ate.)
Notice how the past participle "arrivé" would change endings depending on who arrived - just like regular perfect tense agreement rules.
Using "avant de"
While "après avoir/être" means "after doing", avant de means "before doing something". This construction is simpler because it's always followed by the infinitive form of the verb.
The "avant de" construction is much simpler than the perfect infinitive because there are no agreement rules to worry about - you simply use the infinitive form of the verb.
- Avant de rentrer à la maison, nous avons joué au football. (Before going home, we played football.)
The present participle (le participe présent)
The present participle is the French equivalent of English "-ing" words. It's particularly useful for describing what someone does while doing something else.
Formation rules
To form the present participle, take the nous form of the present tense, remove the -ons ending, and add -ant:
Worked Example: Forming Present Participles
Step 1: Take the nous form of the present tense
- nous travaillons
- nous allons
Step 2: Remove the -ons ending
- travaillons → travaill-
- allons → all-
Step 3: Add -ant
- travaillant (working)
- allant (going)
Important exceptions
Two common verbs have irregular present participles:
- avoir → ayant (having)
- être → étant (being)
These must be memorised as they don't follow the regular formation pattern.
Using the present participle with "en"
The present participle is frequently used after the word en, which translates to "by", "while", or "on" in English:
- Il travaille en écoutant de la musique. (He works while listening to music.)
This construction shows that two actions happen at the same time. The "en" + present participle structure is essential for expressing simultaneous actions in French.
Key vocabulary
| French | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| après avoir | after having | + past participle |
| après être | after being | + past participle (with agreement) |
| avant de | before | + infinitive |
| en + present participle | while/by doing | simultaneous actions |
| le participe présent | present participle | ends in -ant |
| l'infinitif passé | perfect infinitive | shows completed action |
This vocabulary table contains the core structures you need to master. Practice using each construction in different contexts to build fluency.
Grammar and pronunciation tips
Essential Grammar Rules to Remember:
- When using "après être" constructions, always check if the past participle needs agreement
- The present participle never changes its form - it always ends in -ant
- Don't confuse "avant de" (before) with "après avoir/être" (after)
- The pronunciation of -ant endings is nasal: /ɑ̃/
Practice exercises
French to English
- Après avoir fini ses devoirs, il est allé en ville.
- Elle travaille en écoutant de la musique.
English to French
- After watching TV, I played football.
- Before listening to music, they went to school.
Answers
- After finishing his homework, he went into town.
- She works while listening to music.
- Après avoir regardé la télé, j'ai joué au football.
- Avant d'écouter de la musique, ils sont allés à l'école.
Remember!
Key Points to Remember:
- The perfect infinitive (après avoir/être + past participle) expresses "after doing something"
- The present participle is formed by taking -ons off the nous form and adding -ant
- Use "en" + present participle to show simultaneous actions
- "Avant de" + infinitive means "before doing something"
- Don't forget agreement rules when using après être constructions